Plant lentils by sowing whole seed in early spring, once the soil is about 40°F and can be worked. Set the seed 1 to 2 inches deep, and do not wait until the bed is already hot.
Sow in early spring, once the soil is about 40°F
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Sow in early spring once the soil is about 40°F and can be worked, about the time you sow small grains | Sowing after the ground is already hot |
| Seed | Whole garden seed. Use a pea or lentil inoculant if the bed has never grown peas, lentils, or vetch | Planting split red lentils or cooked grocery lentils |
| Depth | Set seed 1 to 2 inches deep. Keep the row moist until it sprouts | Burying small seed so deep it sits in cold, wet soil |
| Spacing | Sow about 1 to 2 inches apart, then thin to 4 to 6 inches, with about 18 to 24 inches between rows | A tight knot with no air around the stems |
Sow lentil while the soil is still cool. Seedlings take a light frost, and an early stand lets the plants fill pods before midsummer heat. [1] Sun and watering after the stand is up are on How to Grow Lentils.
When do I plant lentils?
In early spring, once the soil is about 40°F and can be worked. Do not wait until the bed is already hot.
How to plant lentils
Sow whole garden seed directly in the bed. If the site has never grown peas, lentils, or vetch, dust the seed with a pea or lentil inoculant. The bacteria used on chickpeas will not do this job. [2] Set the seed 1 to 2 inches deep and keep the row moist until the seedlings show.
- Wait until the soil is about 40°F and can be worked in early spring. Seedlings take a light frost. [3]
- Use whole garden seed. If the bed is new to peas, lentils, or vetch, coat the seed with a pea or lentil inoculant.
- Set seed 1 to 2 inches deep. In lighter soil you can stay closer to 2 inches; in heavier soil stay closer to 1 inch. [4]
- Sow about 1 to 2 inches apart, then thin to 4 to 6 inches, with about 18 to 24 inches between rows, so air can move around the stems.
- Water once to settle. Keep the row moist until the seedlings crack the surface, then follow How to Grow Lentils.
How deep do I plant lentil seed?
One to two inches. Keep the row moist until it sprouts.
What fails at planting
Split red lentils from the soup aisle will not sprout, because the seed coat and embryo have been cut away. Cooked grocery lentils are dead. Late sowing into hot soil is the usual reason flowers open in a heat wave and drop. A chickpea inoculant is the wrong strain. Do not drop a heavy nitrogen fertilizer in the furrow with the seed.
Can I start lentils indoors?
The usual crop is sown in the bed. The seed leaves stay underground, so a transplant that is yanked from a cell often stalls. If you start seed early, use a pot you can plant whole.
If the soil is already hot, wait until next early spring. Sow whole seed at 1 to 2 inches, and use a pea or lentil inoculant on a new bed.
FAQ
Can I plant split red lentils from the store?
No. Split red lentils have been hulled and cut, so they cannot grow. Buy whole garden seed sold for planting. Whole dry lentils from the bulk bin may sprout, but a packet sold for the garden is the surer start.
Do I need an inoculant?
If the bed has never grown peas, lentils, or vetch, a pea or lentil inoculant helps the roots fix nitrogen. A chickpea inoculant is the wrong strain.
Brown vs green vs red?
Those are seed classes of the same annual. Brown and green stay whole in the kitchen. Many red bags are split and will not grow. Read the packet for days to harvest, then sow the same way.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NRCS Plant Materials Center, Pullman -
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_lecu2.pdf - [2] Montana State University Extension -
https://www.montana.edu/extension/nutrition/nutrition-cooking-culture/food-fact-sheets/lentils.html - [3] University of Wisconsin and University of Minnesota Extension -
https://corn.aae.wisc.edu/Crops/Lentil.aspx - [4] Alberta Pulse Growers -
https://albertapulse.com/lentil-seeding/
This note is part of Lens Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors